Hatchet Campground, Moran Junction, Wyoming

We rode past the Tetons today. Their jagged peaks rise from the ground behind Jackson Lake. Wyoming is full of wild flowers and birds. The only constant disappointment– and Steve assures me that we are almost clear of it–is the traffic. Today we crossed the entirety of Grand Teton National Park, and tomorrow we climb to another crossing of the continental divide.

The ride through Yellowstone yesterday was through some of its more interesting geological features. The geysers and fumaroles of Yellowstone give a glimpse into the turbulent depths of the Earth. The deep boiling pools are an eerie blue. Scattered animal bones line the bubbling mud pits. Even Old Faithful, surrounded by stadium seating and a gift shop, is spectacular.

After the famous geyser erupts and resumes its calm steaming, the hundreds of spectators leave in a tangle that begins in a large parking lot. This creates a ripple effect in the road traffic, sort of the heartbeat of Yellowstone, pulsing every hour. The effect is easily detected from our vantage point on the side of the narrow highway, and we often pull off into the gravel to let a few dozen cars pass.